1. Aim: Understanding Hammurabi’s Code

2. Sumerian Belief System
Based on a concept of Polytheism:
Belief in more than one god
To honor the gods, Sumerians built Ziggurats and offered sacrifices of animals, food, and wine 2

3. Empires Come Out of Sumer
Sargon of Akkad
Defeated Sumer
Created first empire
Land with different territories and people under single rule
Babylonian Empire 3

4. Rise Of Babylon City Located on Euphrates
1792 BCE- Hammurabi becomes Babylonian King
Hammurabi
Brilliant war leader
Brought all of Mesopotamia under his empire
Best known for his code of laws 4

5. Hammurabi’s Code Hammurabi’s Code “Eye For An Eye” Set of 282 laws
Dealt with every part of life
Each crime brought specific penalty.
“Eye For An Eye”
Didn’t matter what status you were
Penalties were same for everyone
Law 196: “If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.” 5

6. Hammurabi’s Code
Law 197: If he break another man’s bone, his bone shall be broken.
Law 198: If he put out the eye of a freed man, or break the bone of a freed man, he shall pay one gold mina.
Law 199: If he put out the eye of a man’s slave, or break the bone of a man’s slave, he shall pay one-half of its value.
Law 221: If a physician heal the broken bone or diseased soft part of a man, the patient shall pay the physician five shelkels of money. 6

7. Assignment Students will work in groups of 2.
Students will come up with a series of rules that would apply for both students and teachers.
Next to each rule, students should identify a reasonable consequence for a violation of that rule.
Student will put this information on a small poster and be creative with it (colorful). 7